Cappella di San Michele Arcangelo, Renaissance chapel in Semifonte, Italy.
Cappella di San Michele Arcangelo is an octagonal chapel topped with a dome that replicates the design of Florence Cathedral at a 1:8 scale. The building has rectangular windows along its exterior walls and sits in the Barberino Tavarnelle countryside.
Architect Santi di Tito built this chapel between 1594 and 1597 with special permission from Grand Duke Ferdinando I. The permit was exceptional because new construction was normally forbidden in this area.
The altar displays a painting by Bernardino Poccetti showing Saint Michael the Archangel alongside other religious figures. This artwork from 1597 gives the interior its distinctive character and spiritual focus.
The chapel is located near Petrognano and accessible through the local road network in Barberino Tavarnelle within Florence province. Visitors should prepare for walking through open countryside to reach the site.
This building remains the only structure authorized for construction in this location after the complete destruction of the original city of Semifonte in 1202. This exception makes it a rare witness to continuity in an otherwise abandoned area.
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